The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. is known for hosting performances of some of the best music the world has to offer. But before Nas performed there in 2014 alongside the National Symphony Orchestra and Kendrick Lamar did the same in 2015, hip-hop was treated as an exception.

Hip-hop is now the most-streamed genre in the world and it’s getting a lot harder to deny it’s legitimacy. To embrace the new direction in music, the Kennedy Center has announced that Q-Tip will fill a new role as the first artistic director of hip-hop culture, according to the Washington Post.

“Q-Tip will establish a dynamic, new program that will stretch across all disciplines, bringing the historic roots, contemporary expressions, and transformative power of Hip Hop to the [Kennedy] Center and local and national audiences,” said a press release.

Now that hip-hop is easing it’s way into middle-age, a lot of its early pioneers are taking their careers to the next level and serving as ambassadors and stepping into the next realm. Q-Tip, who was a cornerstone of hip-hop as a member of A Tribe Called Quest, is just one of the many that have the ability to do so. Moving forward, expect hip-hop to gain more respect in the arts world.

 

Photo Source: Twitter